Hardik Pandya’s all round performance helped India defeat Pakistan in their 2022 Asia Cup clash on Sunday.

In the first innings, he bowled his full quota of overs, dismissing three Pakistani batters and leaked just 25 runs. The all-rounder then also contributed with the bat, scoring 33* off just 17 balls, which include four boundaries and one maximum. He took India to victory by hitting a flat six off Mohammad Nawaz in the last over of the thrilling match. 

Also Read: Asia Cup 2022: Naseem Shah dismisses KL Rahul on second ball in T20Is, Shaheen Afridi applauds

Who is Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Himanshu Pandya,
or as we know him Hardik Pandya, has cemented his place in the Indian cricket
team as an explosive all-rounder. He came into the spotlight when he smashed 61
runs in 31 balls for the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians in a
match against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2015.

Also Read: Why Pakistan players are sporting black armbands in match against India

A memorable IPL season
was followed by consistent displays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali (2016), he finished
the tournament as the highest scorer for his side Baroda by scoring 377 runs in
10 innings. He also took 10-wickets in the tournament and played a big role in
taking his team to the final.

Hardik’s father
Himanshu played a huge role in paving the way for his sons (Hardik and Krunal
Pandya) to be a part of the Indian cricket team. In spite of a financially weak
state the brothers dedicatedly attended training sessions, travelling by a second-hand
car.

Also Read: Virat Kohli plays his 100th T20I, wishes pour in

The all rounder dropped
out of school in the ninth grade in order to shift his entire focus on the game
and made steady progress. At the junior level he became popular for winning
matches single handedly for his side.

He has turned out to
be India’s first fast-bowling all rounder since the retirement of legendary cricketer
Kapil Dev.

His aggressive batting
mindset has faced flak from a number of people due to a one-dimensional approach
which gets him in trouble on bowling-friendly surfaces. However, on days when
he does not contribute with his bat, Pandya more than makes up for it by his
bowling skills.

Also Read – Asia Cup 2022: India vs Pakistan top 5 moments

In ODIs he has scored
1286 runs in 46 innings while picking up 57 wickets in 58 innings.

As for T20Is he has
scored 484 runs in 33 innings and picked up 42 wickets in 45 innings.

Although he is not the
best bowlers, he is an effective one who manages to unsettle established batters. In 2020, Hardik got
married to Serbian dancer and actress Natasa Stankovic and in July the couple
announced the birth of their first child Agastya Pandya.